Reef Dweller

Shake everything and strain into a tall glass filled with ice. Garnish with a mint sprig, cherry and pineapple chunk.

~ A Dr Bamboo original creation

There are lots of places you can enjoy a drink. Assuming you live in a country that doesn't ban alcohol consumption entirely, it's likely you can grab an adult beverage at a variety of locales. One of mankind's greatest achievements is having figured out ways to have alcohol seemingly anywhere, whether you're at a busy downtown watering hole, lugging a cooler across the wilderness, or anything in between.

Often the best places to indulge in a cocktail, beer, glass of wine, etc., are on or near the water- human beings seem to be drawn to it. Aside from the obvious reasons such as survival, travel and so on, many people just like to hang out near rivers, lakes, and oceans for reasons that can be difficult to articulate. Water exerts a primal pull on human beings, and we like to be near it. It's something you feel, and anyone who has spent time in, on, or around water knows it.

The irascible but always-insightful food enthusiast Anthony Bourdain has commented to the effect that any meal enjoyed at a restaurant where you can eat with your feet in the sand is superior to one eaten elsewhere. I firmly believe the same can be said of drinks. Having the good fortune to find yourself at a beachfront bar is a great experience, and one I recommend highly. No matter if it's at a gleaming tropical resort or a weatherbeaten thatch-roofed shack, having a drink while your feet nestle in the sand and your eyes scan the surf dials up your drinking pleasure. Hell, it doesn't even have to be a particularly good drink...if you're on the beach, some kind of natural energy infuses the cocktail hour (no matter when that hour happens to be) and even a subpar beverage doesn't seem so irksome.

Then there's rivers and lakes. Find a canoe, inner tube or just lash a makeshift raft together and you're set. A beer always tastes better out of a cooler bobbing along beside you, and if you've got the space and ingenuity there's no reason you can't put together a waterborne cocktail kit. Of course if you've got an actual boat, then pretty much anything is possible drink wise...with the added benefit of having somewhere to lie down if you need to nap things off. Speaking of which, bear in mind the sage words of the person who said, "Owning a boat is good. Having a friend who owns a boat is better." Offer to supply the booze, but leave the money and maintenance hassles to someone else.

And we can't forget the our old friend the swimming pool. Despite being man-made, the pool still ranks right up there for being a great aquatic drinking spot. It doesn't matter if we're talking about the classic simplicity of the above-ground models or the swankiness of the in-ground types. the pool provides a great centerpiece for a tippling session. As long as you don't mind chlorine in your water, whiling away an afternoon (or morning if that's your style) poolside with your beverage of choice is a noble and therapeutic pursuit. On the downside, pools lack the ability to house larger watercraft, but you can't have everything, right?

Lastly, don't neglect alternative water sources. Got a community park with a duck pond? It counts. Office complex or shopping mall with a fountain? It counts. Tiki bar with a waterfall? Definitely counts. Even a Slip n' Slide can get the job done with a little imagination and a positive attitude. Just make sure you don't run afoul of your local laws concerning where you can publicly imbibe. Nothing spoils the fun like the constabulary wagging their finger at you for frolicking in the water hazards at the public golf course.

And don't forget to drink plenty of water too. Needlessly suffering from dehydration while waist-deep in H2O is the kind of irony I just can't abide.